Blog Archives
Lack of Grass, No
Friends, i know that these badlands look pretty stark and void of vegetation, but on the flat prairie, the grass grows green and lush in the spring when there is plenty of rain. These pronghorn girls are hanging out together and grazing in the rich areas. The boys are separate and in their own bachelor bunches. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Arranged
Friends, These old corral logs and loading chute were arranged by cattlemen to load cattle into trucks. This remnants of ranch life appears abandoned, the fence is falling down and looks like a wild cow went through it ( sorry last week’s theme) . There are still a great number of ranches in the badlands running cattle on the rich grasslands. Over 1 million acres within the Little Missouri National Grassland are in federal, state and private ownerships, but all are managed by the US Forest Service. The Maah Daah Hey trail traverses the grasslands and connects the South unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park to the Northern Unit. This trail is over 90 miles and is open to travel by horseback, bicycles or hiking. When traveling this trail, remember to close any gates, don’t want to let the cows out, til Tomorrow MJ
Grasslands
Friends, The badlands are known for their grasslands that provided rich grazing for cattle. The country attracted Theodore Roosevelt who invested in two cattle ranches and spent some time “cowboying” in this country. In one of his speeches, he attributed his badlands experiences as instrumental in making him the President of the United States. Others were also attracted to the badlands and the livestock industry. My grandfather raised horses, cattle, pigs, chickens and 5 children in the badlands. With a large garden, they were able to live in relative comfort. Then the depression and droughts of the 1930s made life difficult and many were forced to find other means of support. This barn and corral is a reminder of the hard times and desertion of many homesteads in the badlands. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 